In the field of multi-dose spray devices, several systems for laterally actuating the pump of the device have been developed recently.
Such a system is generally constituted by a body containing the entire spray device and provided with a pivotally mounted lever system acting against the end-wall of the fluid reservoir and pushing it axially, during actuation, towards the dispensing head so as reproduce the movement of the hand during standard axial actuation.
Such systems suffer from numerous problems. In particular, they do not make it possible for a standard assembly method to be implemented by the manufacturer of the fluid to be dispensed, which is generally a pharmaceutical, because it is then not possible merely to insert the unit formed by the reservoir and by the pump into the dispensing head, as is usual in devices that are actuated by hand. In addition, such systems make lateral actuation essential, even though the user might, for various reasons, such as dexterity problems, a habit difficult to change, etc. sometimes prefer to actuate the device in the conventional manner, i.e. by pressing by hand on the end-wall of the reservoir. In addition, all of the existing lateral actuating systems do not solve the problem which is typical with most spray pumps and which relates to the dose-metering accuracy and the spray quality being dependent on the speed and the force with which the user actuates the device. Thus, partial actuation can result in a partial dose being dispensed or in the spray quality being degraded. In addition, numerous pumps generate suction as they operate, i.e. while the fluid is being dispensed, suction is generated inside the reservoir, which suction does not prevent the pump from operating but it makes the force necessary to move the piston inside the pump increase with increasing suction. That requires the user to exert an increasing force on the actuating element as the fluid contained in the reservoir is being dispensed.